April 12, 1953 Base Camp 17,900 feet above sea level

Grades

3–5,
6–8,
9–12

Leaving Tengpoche Monastery behind, Hillary leads some
of the team on a rigorous climb up the Khumbu Icefall to establish Base Camp. Climbing
the icefall is hard work. What kind of training do you think the team did to prepare for difficult climbs like this one? Check the interview with Hillary to find out.

The bare landscape and jagged ice make it hard to pitch
tents at Base Camp. This camp serves as home for the
next seven weeks while the team carves a route in the
ice and sets up eight relay camps with food and shelter
to Everest's summit. The team moves back and forth
between the camps as it prepares for the final trek
up the summit.

Letter Home
Check out NOVA's Web site to see Khumbu Icefall up close and to learn more about
it. Then write a letter home to your family about
your adventures up the Khumbu Icefall. How would you
describe your trek up this slippery glacier? What
does the glacier look like? What do you see and hear
and smell?

Why does the expedition establish so many camps and
who stays at which camp? Find out by exploring the interview with our host, Whitney Stewart.

Icefall- a cascade of ice that results when a glacier
descends over a changing slope of ground beneath.

Base Camp- a central setup of tents where food, equipment,
and medical supplies are stored; a relay site for climbers.